Reflections

 Someone I was talking to the other day was saying how they would love to win the lottery so that they could buy their own house, and never worry about having to move house again. This is my dream as well. I would love for us to be able to own and not rent, so that we could be more stable and have more control over whether we have to move or not. 

It got me thinking though. Apart from the obvious benefits of stability, would I be living my life very differently if we won the lottery? I really don't know. I am not talking about material things (house excluded), more about whether my dreams and aspirations for myself and my children would be the same. I am trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up, and a big part of that decision making involves what will be financially rewarding. I figure that where I want to be is with my children, so if I am going to work, then I want to be paid well for it. Would I feel differently if money wasn't an issue? Would I still be thinking about going back to study, or looking for a job when then my littlest goes to school? Would I have my children in the school they are in? or at school at all for that matter?

What about you? 

Do you feel that you are living your life exactly as you want to? 

Or would you do things differently if money wasn't an issue?

Wordless Wednesday

A land of sweeping plains

An old photo from 2008, but brings back good memories.

Experiencing Technical Difficulties.

Frosty Morning

 Love of my life's computer died. Although I say it is 'his', I used it daily, and as it is much faster and newer than mine, I use it for blogging. So, since it died last Thursday night, blogging activities have been much more difficult. Two days later when I was at the cinema with the boys, he sent me a text to say that the cord of MY computer was on fire. Not good at ALL! Cord problem has been rectified, but the good blogging computer has been couriered off for repairs, so there is a strange gap in our lives. I have tried to deal with this by going through boxes and boxes of my 'to be filed' stuff, and actually filing it. ICK!! It is a job I HATE!! I have been putting it off for years (literally). I have done a LOT in the last week, and feel a slight weight lifted. Not quite as pleasurable as blogging though.
On the up side, in the beginners photography class, we had had a small in-house competition, and I won! The photo I entered was of Melbourne Central, that I posted last week under 'perpective'.

Perspective

Last night, Molly May (aged 2) found it very difficult to get to sleep. She has been a bit sick, and although pretty much better now, her sleeping is just a little bit out of kilter. Usually the bedtime routine is fairly straighforward, we read her a story and then just stay with her until she falls asleep. Last night however, she wanted cuddles, and more cuddles, and to be sung to. She NEVER wants me to sing to her. The boys always wanted a song before bed, it was part of their routine, but Molly May objects very loudly to my singing. Last night she couldn't get enough of it, and when I picked her up she would drape her arms and legs around me ang go beautifully limp. On other occasions I may have found this frustrating, as there are usually so many things that need to be done in the evening, but last night I allowed myself to just be in the moment, and enjoy the fact that she needed and wanted me to comfort her. I soaked up the wonderful feeling we get as mums, when just being there is the best thing we can do for our babies.

I have a dirty oven.

 

A friend of mine sent me a link to a blog that had this sign. My oven is absolutely filthy at the moment, and I have decided that for the next week or so I am going to leave it that way, and concentrate on enjoying being in the moment and being with my children. How clean is your oven? Are your floors sticky?

The original post can be found here.

Daylesford

It seems that my need for spontaneity and escaping wasn't very much subdued by our little jaunt to NSW. On Friday I was reading Maxabella's post about planning her annual solo trip and how she had always wanted to go to Daylesford (thanks Maxabella for the inspiration!). Daylesford has been on my to do list since we lived in South Australia, where it was too far to go. However, seeing as we now live in Victoria I have been thinking I really should. So I decided that we would. Simple as that. No big planning, just getting organised the night before, and then we were in the car and on the road by 7.30am. It felt so good to not make a big deal about it, but to just enjoy the moment.
In Daylesford, the Farmers Markets were on where we got some beautiful organic veggies, and local honey; and the Maker's Markets were on which for some reason the rest of the family were not into as much as I was, so in the interest of family harmony I just had a quick look, then we headed to the bakery to buy some lunch (plus some sushi for Zander) then drove to the botanic gardens to have a picnic. The Gardens were beautiful, and completely deserted - we were the only ones there which made it even more special that it was just ours. We had lunch, walked to the top of the tower (where Zander and I both remembered that we are scared of heights, but managed (just) to get to the top and back down). Then went for a gorgeous romp through the gardens. When we came back to the carpark more people had arrived, so we left and went to have a look at the Lake and the Mineral Springs. BEAUTIFUL! Just coming to the end of it autumn glory, it was just divine. I would like to go again and spend several days, wandering the gorgeous shops, the lake, the gardens, and the mineral springs.
I have lots of pictures, but they are currently on the other computer, so I will upload soon.
Not only was it a beautiful day, but being spontaneous and getting out on roadtrips and into nature is making me feel so good at the moment. Where is your favourite place for a daytrip? Do you like to plan, or do you prefer to be spontaneous?

Escape

I have been out of town for a few days, and a combination of less access to a computer, and being away has meant that I haven't done a blog post for a week now. Maybe it is just me, but there is something about being in a country town that means that I get less done. Maybe it is just that when I am there it feels a bit like a holiday, but I actually feel less motivated to get things done straight away. There just feels like there is more time, and that if I don't get it done today, then I can still do it tomorrow. This should be a good thing, but it makes me feel a bit paralysed. I want to be more productive, and I just find it really difficult to get anything done. I sometimes think how lovely it would be to live in the country, and to have a less hectic time, but I am not sure that it would work in real life as a long term thing. Maybe if it was longer term I could focus and teach myself to get things done, but maybe not. Or maybe getting things done doesn't matter.
  


It was great to get away for a few days, I have been feeling a little suffocated by the routine of life, and getting on the road and away from reality (although I still had 3 children with me) was wonderful. It was wonderful to have a few days where the kids and I could just 'BE'. Life these days seems to be chock full of all the little naggy things that make life unpleasant, like school lunches, being at a certain place by a certain time, getting homework done. Although this life is occasionally punctuated by lovely days out, or other special and nice things, is this what life is meant to be like? It sometimes just feels like one big list of chores, rather than really 'living'.  Or am I just doing it wrong?